Archive for February, 2011

Interesting. I realize there are many barriers to making a move now for a guy like this and many legit reasons we might not want to do it – but it’s also at least interesting to consider a line-up with Bob Sanders at strong safety and Nick Collins at free safety. Throw in Woodson, Tramon, Bishop, Matthews, Raji, Pickett etc – and offenses would opt to punt on 1st down. There would be no point.

Of course this won’t happen because TT/MM don’t like injury-prone guys (except Justin Harrell) and Sanders would come with a guarantee that he’d be injured at some point in the season. Because of his injuries, he is very unreliable. (Of course, when healthy, he’s quite reliable.) Also, he will probably still command a decent salary and frankly, Charlie Peprah looked pretty good as the fill-in safety on a Super Bowl winning team. And, we have Morgan Burnett coming back as well.

Still, I always enjoy taking at least a brief moment to consider cool player combos like Nick Collins next to Bob Sanders.

Read here from McGinn. Deserves it – like Ted Thompson. McCarthy will apparently make $5 million per year. Again, for all of us who’ve been critical of these guys, the bottom line is they accomplished THE goal that a GM and coach are asked to accomplish – winning the big game. But they have also set the team up nicely for the coming years. There should be plenty of talent, strong offensive/defensive systems in place (please stick around Dom Capers…) and now, perhaps most importantly, a psychological edge.

Interesting to consider this thought: what would have happened to TT and MM had the Packers come out flat again and lost to the Giants or Bears and missed the playoffs? While I don’t think they would have been canned, I do think they might have entered the 2011 season on the hot seat. It’s amazing what just a few games can mean to a coach, GM, a team, an organization. In the end, obviously and fortunately, that’s not what happened – and I have to say, I’m pleased that both of these guys got extended.

Here we are over a week removed from the Super Bowl and I still find myself excited about the Packers. There is something about winning the Super Bowl that is so incredibly satisfying. I remember feeling this way in 1997 too. It’s sort of like the handful of restaurant meals you’ve had when you were just blown away – and you remember the meal vividly to this day. It’s sort of like catching a 3 wood flush leaving a make-able eagle putt. It’s sort of like having an especially useful workout that gives you 10x the energy you had before working out. It’s sort of like sitting down by the pool/ocean on the first day of vacation somewhere warm (when it’s insanely cold where you’re from), putting your feet up and sipping on a cold beverage. It’s also sort of like the first heavy snowfall of the season, sitting by the fire and eating a homemade pot pie with a nicely chilled Guinness in hand. Etc Etc.

It’s just satisfying. Once again, thanks Packer organization for giving us this fantastic feeling of satisfaction.

Last Saturday, I spent the better part of the afternoon switching our cable TV hook-up from the den to the living room. (The den was too small for a Super Bowl party.) Well like most projects with me, what should have been a rather minor 30 minute project turned into an all afternoon ordeal. I ripped the cable pulling it out of the wall, had to buy a new cable, drill holes, redo the phone jack. It took too long, but eventually the living room was finally ready for the Super Bowl.

Anyway, the next morning I got up and went in to check out our new arrangement in the living. When I got up to walk around I realized that just getting to the living room was a challenge. Why? Two pulled hamstrings – right and left. Absolutely no idea why this would happen. The day before all I was doing was rearranging cables, pulling a bit here and there and at times laying on the floor. But that shouldn’t result in pulled hamstrings. I mean, I could barely walk. Old Man injuries always make me feel quite lame, but I felt especially lame after watching our Packers put in such an extraordinary tough-guy effort against the brutish Steelers.

I will be offering golf lessons in the Lisbon, WI area (near Sussex, Hartland) starting this spring. My rates are low, I can do individual, couple and group lessons and I can teach any level and any age group. (With the advanced players, I focus a bit more on the mental approach to the game.) I have been golfing since I was very young, I’ve won several local tournaments, played in college and presently play to a 5 handicap index. (And of course, I’m always game to talk Packers – our Super Bowl winning Packers!)

If you have any interest in affordable golf lessons let me know. Send me an email at packergeeks@yahoo.com to set something up.

Yesterday, while most were squarely focused on the Super Bowl, I’ll admit that I had one browser up just to follow the PGA tournament in Phoenix (Waste Management Open). Pretty decent tournament with high quality players. Anyway, Wilson, a Menomonee Falls native whom I golfed against in high school, won the tournament – his 2nd PGA Tour victory already this year. He is now the leading golfer on tour. (Pocketed over $1 million for his effort yesterday alone.)

Check out this picture of Wilson who sported a cheesehead on the 16th hole while walking to the green. The 16th is a short part 3 hole that has become known as a wild party hole because of its stadium-seating – the crowd behaves like a football crowd, not a golf crowd. Absolutely awesome. Once again Packer fan-ness knows no bounds.

Congrats Mark on having a monster season already after barely 1 month. Amazing.